“Well, it’s just a nourishing tonic,” Lao Li replied. “It has the same type of nourishing effect as ginseng, but I think this is better.”
“Where can I buy it?” an old man asked.
“Renhe Clinic, Xiao Pan’s place. The name of this medicine is Primordial Spirit Soup.”
“Alright, I’ve been feeling weak recently as well,” another old man said. “I get out of breath with just a little exertion. I’ll buy a bottle to try and see if it has any effect on me later.”
“Try it. I felt the effect after drinking just one bottle,” Lao Li said.
“Why does it sound like you’re advertising for someone?” another old man joked.
“Hey, watch what you’re saying. Don’t you know my temper?” Lao Li was not happy to hear that.
“I’m someone who speaks only what I believe in.”
“That’s right, when has our brother Li done anything unscrupulous? Besides, all his sons and daughters are promising. He doesn’t lack money.”
Most of these old people were retirees from public institutions. Now that the national policy was good, their pensions were quite high. They got as much as $5,000 to $6,000 a month. They didn’t need to spend so much on daily food and clothing. People like them all liked to buy health-care products. At this age, all they wanted was for their health to be better so that they could suffer less and lessen the burden on their children.
After a little exercise outdoors, Lao Li returned home and saw a present on the table.
“Who was here?”
“Your son.” His wife came out of the room.
“He waited for you for a long time. He just left.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a tonic. He said it’s to nourish your body.”
“I don’t need to.” Lao Li waved his hand. “He doesn’t even know his roots now that he has a little stinking money!”
“Tut, this is your son showing kindness and caring for you, so why aren’t you appreciating it!” His wife was displeased with his attitude. “He just asked if you felt better after taking the medicine, yet you have to change your bad temper!”
“Alright, alright, I got it.” Lao Li waved her away.
The night was serene.
On Nanshan Hill, Wang Yao stood in the herbal field and gazed at the sky.
“It will snow tomorrow,” he softly murmured.
The giant dog stood beside him and gazed up at the sky too.
“San Xian, can you see anything?”
Woof! The dog barked once.
Hehe. Wang Yao smiled and patted its huge head.
The snow started drifting down the next morning before dawn. In the beginning, it was not very heavy. However, around 7 a.m., the snow grew heavier as the sun rose. The fat snowflakes were an imminent sign of a heavy snowfall.
“Hey, it’s snowing again!” Jia Zizai had gotten up very early. Getting up early to practice was a habit they had developed during their time in the village, regardless of the weather.
“Let’s go, Wifey.” He hollered toward the room.
“I’m coming.”
The two people walked out the door, braving the wind and snow. Not long after, they bumped into Zhong Liuchuan. The three people seemed to have made an appointment in advance.
“A seasonable snowfall means promise for a fruitful year,” Zhong Liuchuan said. “Next year should be a good one.”
“Yes, agreed.” Jia Zizai nodded.
The three people walked through the snow, facing the wind, and went up Dongshan Mountain.
“What a snow!”
Standing on Dongshan Mountain, they could only see was a blanket of snow everywhere they looked.
The world had turned white and was as still as a wax figure.
“This breathtaking scenery calls for a pot of delicious wine,” Jia Zizai said with a clap of his hands.
“Always think about drinking.” Hu Mei rolled her eyes at him.
“Let’s start,” Zhong Liuchuan said.
The three practiced in the wind and snow.
Snow fell on their heads and bodies. It steadily continued falling.
The three of them sat on the ground, not caring or looking.
There was silence all around. Only the whisper of falling snow could be heard.
After a long time, a figure came flying through the snow on Nanshan Hill.
It was indeed as if he had flown there. He floated in the air a few times before landing beside the three people. There were no footprints behind him.
He could skim across water and step on snow without a trace.
After Wang Yao arrived, he quietly landed and did not disturb three of them practicing. He stood silently stood to the side and watched them.
What a snow!
He looked around and sighed to himself.
After a little while, Jia Zizai was the first to open his eyes.
Huuu… He lightly breathed out.
Just now, heaven and earth were silent, and he had easily entered a state of Zen. He felt that his practice seemed to flow more smoothly. The aura in his body was flowing, and there was a faint sign of enhancement.
Hu Mei was the second to open her eyes, and Zhong Liuchuan was the last.
“Sir.”
“It seems like you’ve all gained quite a lot today,” Wang Yao said with a smile.
“Yes, we have gained a lot today,” Jia Zizai said.
After a session in the snow, they felt more comfortable in the body and better in spirit upon opening their eyes. This was possibly a legendary epiphany. One day of this kind of practice could be compared to 10 or even dozens of days of normal practice, but this state of Zen couldn’t be maintained for a long time. This kind of epiphany could be met but not sought.
“What a snow!” Jia Zizai sighed.
“Let’s go down the mountain,” Wang Yao said.
“Sir, can you walk in the snow without leaving a trace?” Jia Zizai asked.
“Walk in the snow without a trace?” Wang Yao smiled.
“Yes, Liuchuan, would you like to have a go?”
“Me?” Zhong Liuchuan was stunned upon hearing him.
Wang Yao taught them the method of self-renewing to induce Qi, a set of footwork, and a set of fist techniques. All of that originated from the Ancient Boxing Scripture. Upon mastery, their applications were boundless.
“I shall give it a try.” With that, Zhong Liuchuan’s figure blurred. In the next moment, he was 9 feet away. There were still footprints in the snow, but as he kept moving, the footprints were becoming lighter as if he had become lighter.
“It’s really possible!” Jia Zizai exclaimed.
He hadn’t expected Zhong Liuchuan to be able to already master such an ability. How long had he followed Sir? It had been less than a year.
“Unexpectedly, Senior is so powerful!” He let out another sigh.
“Sir?”
“Ha-ha, let’s go.” Wang Yao moved with him. His body floated like a leaf or snowflake. Suddenly, he was already 32 feet away.
“Sir is quite skilled!” Jia Zizai exclaimed.
The students and teacher went down the mountain. Wang Yao went to the clinic. His three disciples returned home.
The snow was still falling from the sky.
At this time, it was snowing throughout the northern area. In southern Yunnan, it was bright and sunny. The weather was very fine.
The weather was fine, but Guo Zhenghe’s mood was not. There had been no real progress on the case. Even if with the help of the two people from the Valley of Thousands of Medicine, they had only determined one component of the poison. Although the poison was not ubiquitous in southern Yunnan, it was not a rare herb either. It was not hard to find it in the jungle with a little focus.
“Young Master, shall I go to the Valley of Thousands of Medicine again to see if I can get any other insights?” Xu Xinyuan asked.
“It will be too dangerous for you to go,” Guo Zhenghe replied. “With the last visit as a lesson, they will be more prepared. Besides, Yang Guanfeng and his partner were just there. After that saga, the people in the village are likely more vigilant now. Don’t go. See if you can get some information from those people.”
“Alright.”
Bang!
After Xu Xinyuan left, Guo Zhenghe brought his hand down heavily onto the table. Anger was evident on his face. The people in Jing already knew about the incident there. The Guo family was big, and most of them had prominent careers. A person in a high position was liable to be attacked. Besides, as officials, there were bound to be political enemies. After hearing about this incident, his enemies would inevitably fan the flames of trouble. He had already provoked criticism by getting this position at a young age. Therefore, when he took office, he had done more practical things like managing the parties, which counted as achievements. Gradually, the criticism lessened. After all, there had to be a proper reason for people to find trouble. Now that there was a reason, he hoped to solve the case as soon as possible to reduce the impact of the event on himself. The previous case had not been solved, and a new case had happened. His enemies would definitely create a ruckus regarding this matter when they got word of it.
He was too young. He did not have enough power to control people, especially against something so negative. Bad impressions were hard to change once they were planted.
However, there was no retreat regarding this journey. If he took one step back, he’d be forced a thousand steps back. He had no choice in this matter.
Flick! He lit a cigarette.
It was nighttime in Jinmen.
“Mr. Xu.”
“You don’t need to call me mister,” Xu Xinyuan said. “Just call me Lao Xu or by my name.”
“How can I do that? After all, you saved me.”
“I want to ask you something.”
“Please.”
“Do you know Miao Qingfeng and Miao Changhong?”
“Yes, I know that Miao Qingfeng is a disciple of Miao Xihe, the current chief. In fact, he is also his nephew.”
“Nephew?”
“Yes, the relationship between the two people is quite close. Miao Qingfeng is mainly responsible for the external affairs of the stronghold. That is to say, if there is something to be settled outside, he is usually the one who goes out to handle it. As for Miao Changhong, he is one of the several poison masters in the stronghold.”
“Poison master?” Xu Xinyuan, who was lifting his cup, slightly paused his action upon hearing that.
“Yes, there are people who study how to save people and hurt people in the stockade. Among them, Miao Xihe is the best at both saving and hurting people. Although I have scores to settle with him, I have to admit that he is really gifted and brilliant in that respect. In regards to the topics of medicine and poison, he is akin to the peak of a tall mountain. The other people in the village all far away from his level. Miao Changhong once asked him for guidance on how to use poison and got his praise. There are not many people in the village who got his praise.”
“Which of you is the strongest?”
“To tell the truth, none of us are successful.” The man gently shook his head.
“Learning medicine is about talent and not just hard work.”
Mmm… Xu Xinyuan nodded.
“Oh, I do remember someone once you said that. There is a very powerful man.”
“Who is it?”
“His name is Miao Tianchuan. He has a lot of talent. He used to be an old chief, but he escaped from the stockade 10 years ago because of something.”
“Miao Tianchuan?” Xu Xinyuan kept the name in mind.
